Typographic embossing machine



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F. DE MENICO TYPOGRAPHIC EMBOSSING MACHINE liamemmz'g *1 W4 rafialleyimaDec. 18

F. DE MINICO TYPOGRAPHIC EMBOSSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 50 1921 3Sheets-Sheet 5 QJ NNCN -I mm xm W EP ERN Q m\ Yam Jmwamtm; Framkflemmiw;

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Patented Dec 1%, 1923.

FRANK DE MINICO, OF NEW YORK, N.

TENT @FFHOE L.

Y., ASSIGNOB TO POLLARD-ALLING MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYPOGRAPHIC EMBOSSING MACHINE.

Application filed December 30, 1921. Serial No. 526,016.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DE MINICO, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York, borough of Bronx, in the county of Bronx andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTypographic Embossing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to typographic embossing machines and has for itsobject to provide a machine of the class specified simple inconstruction, eflicient in operation, and having small liability tofunctional de rangement. Other objects will appear later herein.

My improved machine is illustrated in its preferred embodiment for oneof its several specific uses in the drawings accompanying thisspecification, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portable,embossing machine, particularly adapted and arranged for embossingletters or other characters on thin metal plates, suitable for use asprinting plates. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, looking in the directionof arrow 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of what isshown in Figs. 1 and 2, that portion of said figures above lines 3-3thereof, respectively, being removed. Fig. 4 is a vertical section online 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation, partly in section, of aportion of what is shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Fig. 6 is a detail elevationof a portion of what is shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and8 are fragmentaryelevations to illustrate the operation of my improved machine. Fig. 9 isa fragmentary elevation corresponding with a portion of what is shown inFig. 4, but with the parts in different relative positions. The scale ofFigs. 1, 2, 3 and 6 is equal. The scale of Figs. 1, 5 and 9 is abouttwice that of Fig. 1. The scale of Figs. 7 and 8 is about half that ofFig. 1.

The present improvements are directed particularly to that general classof embossing machines employing a rotatable head carrying a plurality ofpairs of coacting punches and dies near its periphery, and any one ofwhich pairs of punches and dies is brought to operative position by handactuated means, and then by hand or power means the punch and die arebrought into coacting relation with a piece of sheet metal therebetween.

While my present invention is particularly described as directed to theembossing of typographic characters on a printing plate, it will beunderstood that such use thereof is but on of many uses to which it isapplicable, and that such use herein is for purposes of illustration andnot of limitation.

My improved machine is preferably of portable character and themechanism thereof may be mounted on base 5. On said base is post 6 inwhich freely turns, in a vertical bearing, pivot shaft 7 of rotatabledie-head 8. For convenience of manufacture, said die-head is illustratedas built up of several elements, as follows: Positioning disc 9, havingsleeve 10 upstanding therefrom, said sleeve being keyed to shaft 7.Erected upon disc 9 and preferably riveted thereto are a series ofspacedapart circular plates 11 to 15, inclusive. Plates 12 to 15 have aseries of holes, as 16 in plate 15, through each thereof, said holesbeing equidistant from the axis of shaft 7 and each of said holes, as16, being in vertical alignment with a similar hole in each of the otherplates 14. 13 and 12. \Vhile these holes may be round they arepreferably square, so as to hold the punches and dies therein againstturning. Slidably mounted in such aligned holes, respectively, in plates12 and 13 are dies, as 17, the die cavity 18 of which faces upwardly.Said dies are provided with shoulders, as 19 to die '17, on that sidethereof facing inwardly toward shaft 7, and said shoulders rest upon theouter edge of lowest plate 11 of die-head 8. Opposite shoulder 19 isnotch 20 in said-die for engagement with leaf spring 111 when said dieis in operative position. Said spring is supported on post 112 of baseSlidably mounted in aligned holes, respectively, in plates 14 and 15 arepunches, as 21. each having a punch nose, as 22 of punch 21, forcoacting with the die cavity 18 of die 17 therebelow. Said punches areprovided with inwardly facing notches, as 23, each for engagement withone of a series of radially disposed leaf springs, as 24, carriedbetween plate 15 and spacer block 150, for yieldably holding saidpunches in their upper idle positions, respectively.

. outer edge of block For the ready insertion and removal of thepunches, as 21, from head 8, the springs, as 24, are peculiarly mountedfor movement radially of said head. Spacer block 150 has radial slots,as 151, in its upper face, one for each spring, and said slots are justwide enough to permit free endwise movement of said springs thereinwhile maintaining them in endwise alignment, all respectively. Over eachspring slot in block 150 and near the inner end of said slot is hole 15in plate 15, and extending from the 150 nearly to seat 16 of punch 21,is radial opening 15 in plate 15, just above spring 24. These twoopenings in plate 15 provide access to spring 24 by means of someconvenient tool for pushing that spring into and out of engagement withslot 23 of said punch. When said spring is withdrawn from said slot,punch 21 may be freely withdrawn upwardly from head 8 and after itsremoval, die 17 therebelow may be similarly removed upwardly throughplates 14, 15.

Said die head 8 may be rotated to bring any pair of punches and diesinto operative position by means of hand wheel 25, through the followingdescribed connections: Upstanding' from base 5- is bracket 26 havinghorizontal bearing 27 in which turns freely shaft 28, to the outer endof which hand wheel 25 is fixed. To the inner end of said shaft is fixedbevel gear 29 in mesh with bevel gear 30 of half its size, fixed toshaft 7 of die-head 8. Above diehead 8 and facing the front of themachine and the operator. is dial 31 carried by arm of bracket 26...Over the face of said dial, pointer 32 is mounted for oscillation. Onsaid dial, in semi-circular arrangement, are characters, as 34,corresponding with the characters which the punches and dies of d1e-head8 are adapted for embossing, re-

spectively. Said pointer 32 is fixed to horizontal shaft 35 turningfreely in bearing 36 in arm 33. Said shaft 35 has fixed thereto bevelgear 37 in engagement with bevel gear 38 of half its size, fixed to theupper end of die-head shaft 7. By this arrangement a given incrementalrotation of hand wheel 25 corresponds with a character to characterrotation of die-head 8 and of pointer 32. Hand wheel 25 may be providedwith pin 39 projecting from the hub thereof for engagement with oppositestop pins 40, 41 for limiting the rotation of said wheel to correspondwith the full rotation of die-head 8 and the half rotation of pointer32.

For accurately positioning any selected punch and die for coactingoperation, after such selection has been made by means of hand wheel 25,positioning disc 9 is pro vided, preferably in its periphery. with aseries of V notches 9" corresponding in numher with the number of pairsof punches and dies. For engagement with said notches, one at a time,oscillating arm 62 pivoted for horizontal movement at 63 on post 64 ofbase 5, has at its free end-wedge 65. Said wedge is constantly urgedtoward disc 9 by pull spring 66 and is normally held out of suchengagement by lever 67 depending from pivot 68 fixed in ear 46 ofupright 46. The lower and free end of said lever 67 engages socket 69inthe rear end of wedge 65, Figs. 4 and 5. Said lever 67 is connected bylink 70 with pin '71 eccentrically fixed in disc 51, Figs.'4 and 6. Thejoint of link 70 and pin 71 is a loose joint so as to permit free actionof arm 62 when it engages a notch in disc 9.

For actuating each pair of punches and dies, as 21, 17, when they are attheir operative station, upper and lower opposite levers 42, 43 pivotedon studs 44, 45, respectively, projecting horizontally from upright 46of base 5, are provided. Said levers may have openings therethrough forstraddling otherwise interfering arts as shaft 7 and post 6,respectively. C aid levers terminate forwardly, to the left in Figs. 1and 4, in heads 42 43 in which are adjustably mounted opposed screws 47,48, respectively, for direct engagement with any given pair of punchesand dies brought into alignment therebetween. Said levers terminaterearwardly, to the right in Figs. 1 and 4. in ears 42 43". Each of saidears is preferably bifurcated, see Fig. 3, and ear 42?.for in stance,has pivoted therein one end of link 49, the other end thereof beingpivoted eccentrically on disc 51. Link 50 of lever 43 similarly connectsear 43 thereof with disc 51, and said disc has its shaft 52 rotatablymounted in upright 46. Links 49,

50 and disc 51 form opposite toggles, effective when said disc isrotated clockwise from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 7 toseparate ears 42", 43 and to cause screws 47, 48 to engage and forcetoward each other into coacting engagement. a punch, as 21, and die, as17, respectively.

For thus oscillating toggle shaft 52 the following means are provided:Pivoted in bearing 53 of base 5 preferably in front of shaft 7, Fig. 1,is operating rock shaft- 54. Fixed to said shaft is rock arm 55, andfixed to disc shaft 52 is rock arm 56. Pivotally connected to the outerends of said arms 55, 56 are the opposite ends, respectively, of link57. While shaft 54 may he oscillated by some known power means notshown, I preferably provide hand lever 58 for this purpose. Said leverhas its hub end fixed to shaft 54 and may be provided with stop pin 59for engagement with opposite shoulders 60, 61. of bearing for limitingthe stroke of said lever and arm 55.

For holding, positioning and. for moving the plate, as 95, Fig. 4, inwhich characters are to be embossed, the following means are provided:Between opposite frames 73, 74, upstanding from base 5, to the left ofdie a head 8 in Fig. 1 and in front of that diehead in Fig. 2, arecarriage ways, preferably comprising two parallel spaced apart rods 7 5,76 arranged horizontally. Slidably mounted on said rods is carriage 77,for convenience preferably constructed principally of sheet metal.Between carriage ends 78, T9 are supported tubular bearings 80, R1engaging rods 75. 76, respectively. C'arried by opposite pairs of earsturned inwardly from carriage ends T8. T9 are rods 82. 83 forming wayson which slides. transversely to the line of movement of the carriage.plate carrier 84. Said carrier comprises base 84 to the under side ofwhich is fixed rack 85 parallel with rods 82, 83 on which the carriertravels. Engaging this rack is pinion 86 fixed to shaft 87 turning inbearings in carriage ends 78, 79. Said shaft terminates at the right ofsaid carriage, Figs. 2 and 3 in turn-button 88. Supported from tubularbearing 80 by spring member 89 is detent 90 for engagement with rack 85.Fixed to said rack. for a portion of its length, is rail 91 projectingdownwardly to or below the teeth of said rack. for holding detent 90from engaging said rack, when said carrier is in retracted position.Pivotally mounted in opposite ears 92. 93 of carrier base 84 is plateholder 94. For the particular type of plate illustrated at 95, saidholder preferably comprises opposite forwardly extending arms 96, 97,each having an inwardly facing slot as 98 for the reception of theopposite ends of said plate. The rear edge. lower edge in Fig. 3, ofsaid plate is seated on ledge 94 of the pl'ate holder and said plate isheld to said seat by clamp 99 pivoted concentric with plate holder 94.Said clamp is provided with finger piece 99. Leaf spring 100 fixed toplate holder 94 is efficient for urging clamp 99 to its work.

' For moving carriage 77, step by step to the left. Figs. 2 and 3, forletter spacing the plate to be embossed. the following means areprovided: Pivoted'on rod .101 fixed in opposite ears 78, 79 of carriageends 78. 79. respectively, is rack 102. Said rack is preferably circularin cross section and is arranged to rotate freely on rod 101. Forengagement with said rack is escapement 103 fixed to rock shaft 104having bearings in opposite frames 73. 74. Projecting forwardly, to theleft in Fig. 4, from said escapement is handle 105 for releasing saidesdapement from operation. Said escapement is provided on its upper freeend with escapement teeth 103 103 For permitting the hand operation ofcarriage 77. link 106 is slotted at its point of engagement with pin 108of said escapement and said pin is ordinarily maintained at the lefthand end of said slot, Fig. 4, by spring 109. \Vhen said carriage ismoved by hand said spring is compressed. For operating said escapenient,link 106, pivotally connected at one end to depending car 107 ofdie-head positioning arm 62, and at its other end similarly connected at108 to said escapement, is provided. For urging carriage T7 to the left,Figs. 2 and 3, pull spring 110 is provided.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: Plate carrier 84 iswithdrawn to the left from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 9,thereby removing its leading ends 96, 97 from the field of operation ofthe coacting punch and die. Said movement also shifts carrier rack fromengagement with the roll of detent 90, said roll being held from suchengagement by rail 91. When carrier 84 is in its retracted position,Fig. 9, plate holder 94 may be swung up for the reception of a plate tobe embossed, by pressing finger piece 99 toward the left. The heel 94 ofsaid plate holder thereby encounters top 84 of the plate carrier andfurther pressure on said finger piece causes plate clamp 99 to be liftedfrom said holder 94, when a plate as 95. Fig. 4, may be inserted. Thenupon the release of finger piece 99. clamp 99 grips the inner edge ofplate to holder 94, and said holder swings down to its seat on carrier84. Then, by pushing finger piece 99 to the right to the position ofFig. 4, the first exposed tooth in plate carrier rack 85 will engagedetent 90. whereby said plate 95 is located between the punches and diesrespectively on die-head 8, in position to receive the first line ofembomed characters thereon. To move carriage 77 to the extreme right, asin Fig. 3, to bring the left end of plate 95 in position to be embossedwith the first character of the first line of characters, handle 105 israised, thereby swinging escapement tooth 103 out of engagement withrack 102, and said carriage is pushed by hand to the right against thepull of spring 110. Handle 105 is then released permitting escapementtooth 103 to again engage rack 102.

Now, by means of hand wheel 25. die-head 8 is rotated until the chosencharacter is indicated by pointer 32 on dial 31, when lever 58 is pushedby hand to the right, from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 7wherein rock arm 55 and link 57 are in line, rock arm 56 has been swungits maximum stroke to the right and toggles 49. 51 and 50. 51 are attheir full throw, respectively. This movement of said toggles rocks ontheir pivots, levers 42, 43, whereby the forward ends 42343 of thoselevers. respectively. approach each other to engage and force intocoacting engagement with plate 95, the chosen pair of punches and dies,as 21, 17. Punch 21 is forced downwardly against the resistance of itsspring 24, and die 17 is forced upwardly against the resistance ofspring 111, with which it came into engaging'relation when die-head 8was locked in selected position by wedge 65.

During the early part of the described movement of lever 58, twoimportant suboperations take place. First, arm 62 is released by therotation of disc 51, whereby its wedge 65 enters the adjacent notch 9 inpositioning disc 9, under the pull of spring 66, thereby accuratelyindexing the selected pair of punches and dies in operative position.Coincident with this described engagement of said wedge-and notch,escapement 103 is swung in anti-clockwise direction, Fig. 4, by means oflink 106, thereby permitting rack 102 of carriage 77 to be moved byspring 110, one half a-character increment to the left, Figs. 2 and 3.The other half of said incremental movement is had upon the returnstroke in clockwise direction of escapement 103, during the final partof the stroke of lever 58.

The continued movement of hand lever 58 from the position of Fig. 7 tothat of Fig. 8, unlocks the toggle action of arm 55 and link 57, androck arm 56 is swung in anticlockwise direction, thereby unlockingtoggles 49, 51 and 50, 51 whereby levers 42, 43 are returned to theirpositions, respectively, of Fig. 1, thereby releasing punch 21 and die17, which are then returned to their idle positions, respectively, saidpunch being returned by its individual spring 24 and said die by spring111 fixed to post 112.

Hand lever 58 is'now at the far end of its stroke, Fig. 8, andthe'movement of said lever from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 8has accomplished the complete cycle of accurately locating a selectedpunch and die in operative positlon, causing sa'id punch and die tocoact to emboss their character on plate 95, releasing and returningto'idle positions, respectively, said punch and die, indexing carriage77 one character increment of movement, and unlocking wedge 65 fromlocating disc 9.

The several parts of the machine are now in position to repeat theiroperation for again embossing a character on plate 95, and

which operation is accomplished by pulling lever 58 from its position ofFig. 8 back to that of Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen that a completeoperative cycle of the machine is acomplished by a half cycle ofmovement of lever 58, that is, by moving said lever from left to right,or from right to left, Fig. 1. If in repeating the operation of themachine i1? is desired to emboss the same character a second time, handwheel 25 is permitted to remain at rest, but if a different character isdesired, said hand wheel is turned until pointer 32 indicates thedesired character on dial 31.

When sufficient characters have been embossed in one line, carriage 77is released by lifting lever 105, where escapement 103 is thrown out ofengageme t w1th rack 102, I e is pushed to the right, Figs. 2 and 3, tot e desired position for starting a new line. Then plate carrier 84 ismoved inwardly toward shaft 7 one or more line spaces as desired bymeans of turn button 88, which causes gear 86 to move rack 85 and saidcarrier 84, detent 90 holding said rack in the selected position.

I claim:

1. In an embossing machine having a die head rotatable about a fixedaxis, and a plurality of pairs of punches and dies arrangedcircumferentially about said head, the combination of said dies, orpunches, being normally held ininoperative positions respectively bygravity, and a spring member supported on a fixed part of the machineand projecting into operative relation with any given die when that dieis in operative position, said spring member being effective forreturning said die to inoperative position when moved therefrom.

2. In an embossing machine a die head rotatable about a fixed axis, anda plurality of pairs of punches and dies arranged circumferentiallyabout said head, the combination of said punches, or dies, beingnormally held in inoperative positions respectively by leaf springs, onefor each punch, each spring being movable in the direction of its lengthinto and out of engagement with its respective punch.

3. In an embossing machine having a die head rotatable about a fixedaxis; a plurality of pairs of punches and dies arrangedcircumferentially about said head, each pair of punches and dies beingadapted for coactive movement, means for selecting any desired pair ofpunches and dies and for bringing said pair to operative position, and apair of opposite levers adapted for engagement with a selected pair ofpunches and dies respectively for moving said pair into operativecoaction, the combination of a toggle rockshaft, toggle connectionsbetween said shaft and each of said levers, an operating rockshaft,toggle connections between said toggle rockshaft and said operatingrockshaft, and means for oscillating said operating rockshaft in eitherof two directions for actuatin said lever toggles their full stroke andback again for causing the operative ends of said levers first toapproach and then to recede from each other.

4. In a machine of the character described the combination of means forholding the plate to be embossed comprising a reciprocatable carriage, aplate carrier mounted for and then said carria aavaoao reciprocation onsaid carriage transversely to the direction of reciprocation of saidcarriage, a plate holder pivotally mounted on said plate carrier, aplate clamp pivotally mounted on said plate holder, spring means forurging said plate clamp to coaction with said plate holder, a stop onsaid plate holder for engagement with said plate carrier, a finger pieceon said clamp, said finger piece, when pressed, being efiicient forswinging said plate holder and clamp in unison until said stop engagessaid plate carrier, and for then swinging said clamp away from saidplate holder for the reception of a plate therebetween.

5. In a machine of the character described the combination of a platecarrier, a plate holder movably mounted on said plate carrier, a plateclamp pivotally mounted on said plate holder, spring means for urgingsaid plate clamp to coaction with said plate holder, a stop on saidplate holder for engagement With said plate carrier, a finger piece onsaid clamp, said finger piece, when pressed, being efficient for movingsaid plate holder and clamp in unison until said stop engages said platecarrier, and for then swinging said clamp away from said plate for thereception of a plate therebetween.

. 6. In a machine of the character described the combination of areciprocatable carriage, a plate carrier mounted for reciprocation onsaid carriage transversely to the direction of reciprocation of saidcarriage, hand actuated means for reciprocating said carrier including arack, a detent on said carriage for engagement with said rack, forholding said carrier in any one of a plurality of positions in its pathof reciprocation, and means on said carrier for withholding said detentfrom engagement with said rack during a portion of the movement of saidcarrler.

7. In a machine of the character described the combination of areciprocatable carriage, a plate carrier mounted for reciprocation onsaid carriage transversely to the direction of reciprocation of saidcarriage, a rack fixed to said plate carrier, a gear rotatably mountedin said carriage for engagement with said rack for reciprocating saidcarrier, hand actuated means for rotating said gear, a detent on saidcarriage for engagement with said rack, and means on said carrier forholding said detent from engaging a portion of said rack.

In witness whereof, I hereby aflix my signature this 29th day ofDecember, 1921.

FRANK DE MINICO.

